Three days later.
Pixar Animation Studios.
Kyle finally had the opportunity to meet Jobs, as today marked the day for signing the contract, and he, as the head honcho, was required to sign.
"Mr. Page, you are truly... quite astonishing to me. Where did you find such an excellent negotiator?"
Jobs shook Kyle's hand and wanted to express that he was shameless, but the words did not leave his mouth.
Too shameless?!
John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, and the other Pixar staff nodded in agreement.
"These three individuals are incredibly shameless."
"Oh yes, his name is Brandon, and he has an extremely loud voice, like a wild man."
"More than just wild?"
"Did you not see him nearly getting into a fight with Max Lee at the negotiation table?"
"And that John Smith, who always has a smile and offers no-nonsense, but presents a ton of data. He eliminates people effortlessly, a real smiling tiger!"
"The most shameless of them all is Kyle, that guy Kyle Page."
"Indeed, he didn't bring up anything else. He just kept insisting that he didn't have that much money, didn't have that much money, didn't have that much money."
"I repeated that countless times over the past two days. I almost went mad from repeating it so many times."
The atmosphere at Pixar was not good.
In reality, these complaints were nothing. The worst off was Max Lee, the negotiation representative from Dabell Company. In his dealings with Brandon, he nearly became non-verbal.
"Damn it, damn it, Brandon is a wild man, and I never want to encounter him again."
Finally, the contract was executed.
The key points are as follows:
Kyle did not secure the "Toy Story" merchandise licenses in six states but succeeded in acquiring four: California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah.
2. The licensing fee amounts to $800,000, paid as a single sum, with a licensing duration of 12 years.
3. The "Toy Story" franchise includes priority cooperation rights for licensing peripheral products of all animated films produced by Pixar Animation Studios over the next five years.
That's right, covering all its 3D animated films during the next five years.
This aspect is what Kyle highly values.
The merchandise licenses for "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," "Monsters, Inc.," "Cars," and more are enough to guarantee that Kyle's store will profit immensely in the future.
"Hahaha, $800,000 is a significant amount. Not to mention after the year 2000; even if Toy Story is released a few months later, due to its popularity, $800,000 will seem trivial."
Kyle was elated.
Predictably, everyone at Pixar will come to regret this later on.
In a few months, likely, the licensing fees for the surrounding regions of Los Angeles alone will surpass $500,000, with the entire state of California undoubtedly exceeding $1.2 million.
A few days later.
As Kyle began his hiring process, he started contemplating writing some scripts.
"Wrong Turn," "Saw," and "The Blair Witch Project" are all low-budget, highly profitable films, which left Kyle in a dilemma on what to choose.
On this day, during the hiring process, Kyle encountered a rather surprising interviewee; her name was Charlize Theron.
"Are you Charlize Theron from South Africa?"
Kyle gazed at the young blonde woman before him, who appeared to be around 20 years old and dressed in a somewhat casual manner, with a puzzled expression on his face.
"Yes, sir, I'm currently working as an actor, but don't worry; I'm just a role actor—um, an extra. I attend acting school at night, and it definitely won't interfere with my daytime job," Charlize Theron hurriedly replied.
During her early days, she lacked the confidence she would later possess. She was broke and in urgent need of employment.
She was genuinely worried that Kyle might turn her down.
Damn!
He is really lucky!
Charlize Theron, one of the leading actresses in Hollywood, had only appeared as an extra in a film in 1995, yet by 2003, she had won an Oscar for Best Actress for her transformative role in "Monster." After that, she starred in numerous films like "Hancock," "Snow White and the Huntsman," and "Fast and Furious 8."
In 2019, the Forbes list of global celebrity earnings placed her ninth among female actors.
Considering this, Kyle couldn't help but click his tongue.
Although he confirmed her identity as Charlize Theron, Kyle was initially taken aback but soon regained his composure.
"I've encountered people like Steve Jobs and John Lasseter, so why should I be surprised? Well, I'm pleased," Kyle thought to himself.
"Sir, rest assured, I will work diligently and will not disappoint you."
When you live under someone else's roof, you have to submit, which is exactly how Charlize Theron felt today.
"Alright, I can take you on. The weekly pay will be $400. You'll have a three-month probation period, after which your weekly salary will increase to $500. There will also be a monthly bonus and sales commission. If all goes well, please come to work next Monday," Kyle stated plainly.
"That's fine; I'm on board."
A weekly salary of $400 was considered decent for the American service sector in 1995. Naturally, it was just the average rate, not mentioning the bonuses and sales commissions. Having a pressing need for money, Charlize Theron was certainly not going to turn it down.
Seeing her agreement, Kyle couldn't help but think, "Don't assume that just because you're attractive, you can get more money from me. Not a chance. I'm very practical."
You are destined to be alone!
The hiring process went off without a hitch. In just one day, Kyle brought on more than 20 employees. Each store averaged over three employees.
"With over 20 staff, the monthly wage expenses alone will exceed $30,000!"
....
At 8 PM that evening.
Inside Kyle's residence.
"Boss, I've confirmed the project's progress. In three days, which is this Friday, all the stores will have completed renovations," John said with enthusiasm.
He couldn't help but feel thrilled, as he managed one of the stores and oversaw the main store located at the Hollywood Theatre.
If he performs well, it could lead to further advancement due to his longstanding relationship in the area.
It's simply fantastic!
"Alright, it looks like I need to move quickly."
Kyle instructed, "John, you need to put in extra effort these next few days and closely monitor both the progress and quality of the project. I will reach out to several toy stores in Los Angeles and aim to secure a toy manufacturing contract before Friday."
"Understood," John replied.
Kyle had been incredibly busy lately.
He was occupied with toy OEM and purchases, reaching out to other film companies for their peripheral authorisations on related films, along with other matters like business licenses and utility services. Thankfully, having a background in logistics in his previous life made it manageable to accomplish all this in just a few days
....
The late‑afternoon sun spilt through the kitchen window, scattering golden specks across the tiled floor. The scent of freshly baked cookies wrapped around Kyle like a silent embrace. He leaned against the doorframe, heart pounding in rhythm with the distant tick of the wall clock.
His mother stood at the counter, gently kneading dough while humming an old lullaby he'd sung as a boy. She glanced at him over flour‑dusty hands, warmth in her eyes.
"Mom," he murmured, stepping forward. His voice felt thick—heavy with anticipation.
She straightened. "Kyle, what is it? You look…" She paused, searching his face. "Is everything okay?"
He swallowed, smoothing his palms on his slacks. "Yeah. Actually… better than okay." He paused, then took a breath that seemed larger than him. "I wanted to tell you—I've opened seven chain stores."
Her hands stilled. The lullaby wavered and stopped. For a long moment, neither spoke. Then her eyes shimmered, disbelief flickering into pride.
"Seven…" she repeated, almost to herself. "Seven?" She placed a gentle hand on his arm, kneading reassurance into him. "Oh, Kyle."
He nodded, tension unravelling. "Yes, seven stores and I have also secured the rights to Toy Story."
Tears pricked at her eyes. She searched his face, as if to make sure this was real. Then she smiled—frail at first, then brighter, blooming.
"I'm so proud of you," she whispered, voice tight with emotion. She crossed the room and pulled him into a warm, firm hug. The flour on her apron dusted his shirt, mixing past with present in that golden light.
"You've worked so hard," she said into his shoulder. "Your father… he would have been bursting with pride." She paused, pulling back to look at him, eyes glistening. "You did this, Kyle."
He closed his eyes. "We did it."
She released him and finally, truly looked at him—saw the man he'd become: confident, ambitious, successful. She brushed a loose strand of hair from his forehead, hands trembling just a bit.
"So," she said, voice catching, "tonight—let's celebrate. You pick the place, choose the wine…"
He grinned. "Well… how about apple pie? Baked fresh, your recipe."
Her laugh came softly, like a fragile melody. "That sounds perfect."
They moved as one toward the oven. The day's golden light faded into evening, but the warmth in that kitchen glowed on—an ember of pride, of love, and everything standing behind those open doors.